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The Brass Pounders Quarterly
is an Electronic Newsletter of the ARRL National Traffic
System
Richard Webb, NF5B, editor
PUBLISHED BY TRAFFIC HANDLERS FOR TRAFFIC HANDLERS
Volume II Issue 1
Copyright 2008 by The ARRL National Traffic System
Contents
Editor's corner
NTS news briefs
General articles: Improving your station's audio
NTS Training: Circuit discipline: What it is and why it's important
How to submit an article
Where to get BPQ
This electronic newsletter is free to all who may wish to receive it. You may
upload it to bulletin board systems; ftp sites etc. so long as no fees are
charged for access to it. Individual articles retain the copyright of the
author.
Editor's Corner
Please bear with my thought processes here a moment if you would and consider
ARRL field day, what it is and what it's supposed to do for amateur radio. Field
day is to demonstrate and improve on our emergency communications techniques and
systems. I've seen some pretty good field day operations, and some where we just
showed up at the clubhouse and operated. However, often times few members of the
public show up, and if we're lucky one or two of them are journalists or public
officials that we'd like to impress.
It seems to me that many groups participating in field day underutilize message
traffic to get points. However, we could really fold this into field day quite
easily. Your local club might have the mayor show up, or the county emergency
management head. Great, for him as well as the others who stop by the site. For
those that do, the offer to send a short message to anyone anywhere might
impress. Most field day traffic I see is the obligatory message to the SM or STM
stating that your group is operating a field day station.
It seems to this writer that ARRL should do more to encourage clubs and emcomm
groups operating field day to demonstrate skills such as those needed to
originate and handle formal record message traffic. We already show by the
contest atmosphere that we can get our generators and field stations humming
quite nicely. A demonstration of the operating skills that might come into
play is quite appropriate as well. Though many of those skills are used in
contesting, others are not. Hence, some additional rules and/or rules
changes to reflect this are very much in order.
Of course messages sent or relayed by CW should garner a greater score than
those sent on phone; which should garner more than using digital modes.
This way the organization gets one of its most experienced traffic handlers to
demonstrate this skill for the public and do some elmering along with having the
usual field day fun.
So how about it folks? Anybody else willing to do some lobbying of HQ to
make this a reality?
NTS News Briefs
Once again the dreaded subject of bulk book traffic has come up in one of those
brief flurries of emails. These go around for a few days and then subside,
but this time it's sustained itself in little bursts of a few emails then
nothing for a few days, then another round of emails.
Your editor would like to hear your thoughts on the subject. Now before
you put fingers to keyboard I'd also like to hear your ideas on ways we can
still give the system good traffic to handle, thereby offering newcomers and old
hands alike quality training, and a reason to remain active in NTS. To
make a long one short, the proponents for leaving things as they are state that
the system would have virtually no traffic to handle were it not for the bulk
originators. Regrettably this is essentially correct.
So, tell us here at BPQ what you think, but also tell us how we can keep the
system alive with good traffic on a day to day basis to keep us sharp and ready
for the next Katrina or major earthquake. NTS leaders need to hear from
you, and hopefully by discussing the issue here we can give them some meaningful
input on the subject.
---
The following was received from Dave Knight, W4ZJY, in early March. He
notes that Pacific Area net cycle four will be switching to 7052 kHz effective
with the switch to daylight savings time.
---
Improving your Station's Audio
By Richard Webb, NF5B
All right folks, we've worked on our station. Whether it be our portable station
for public service events or our HF station in the shack we've tweaked, tried
different antennas for our bands of interest, maybe bought an amplifier.
Still for the public service communicator the most important thing is
getting the information we transmit transferred accurately to its destination.
That audio chain, from your mouth to the microphone to the transmitter is the
crucial link. In the first installment we'll discuss the FM operator and
the solutions to his possible problems. In part two we'll delve into microphones
and the proper techniques for using them in the environment of the shack. In the
third installment I'll discuss acoustic shaping of your radio shack. If you're a
DXer or contester don't tune out on us just yet, because this is aimed at the
public service operators. You'll find some useful information here.
Who am I? I'm an audio professional and musician. I've spent the majority of my
life working with microphones, speakers and sound in a variety of acoustic
environments. I'm not a theoretician, I have no relevant college degrees, but
the college of hard knocks taught me a few things about the way spaces shape the
sounds around us and how different microphones capture sound. Conversely, our
operating environments shape the sound our speakers put out too. Even the
serious cw op who rarely hooks a microphone to his HF rig will benefit from Part
Three.
First I'm going to pick on the operator with the portable or mobile VHF/UHF
station helping out with public service communications around his community. It
doesn't do you any good to have a full quieting signal into the local repeater
if the ambient noise around you is so high you have to repeat traffic two and
three times to be understood at the other end of the circuit.
Let's talk first about the operator who's helping out at the local walkathon or
similar event with his handheld transceiver. For this application I've used
either a speaker microphone which offered me another connection for an ear bud
or a headset of my own device. The headset was originally one of those Realistic
49 mHz two ways with VOX. I gutted the transmitter, left the little cheap
dynamic mic element and earphone and its switchbox. I use the push to talk
switch they provided for the transmitter. I just slip the little switchbox on my
belt or slip it in a pocket. I like to carry my HT in a shoulder holster rig. I
can sling it around on my back and have the little rubber duckie antenna in the
clear to maximize my position without having to wrestle with the HT. I have my
hands basically free most of the time, and when I must transmit only need reach
down and push the switch. Having my hands free allows me to handle writing
materials easier. Less fatigue, fewer delays while I wrestle with the handheld
transceiver, paper and writing materials, my cold drink etc...
The other big advantage of my headset over a speaker microphone is obvious. You
don't hear the microphone handling noises as you would with a regular hand
microphone. The headset keeps the microphone in a position where it sounds good,
and I can speak softly.
So what's wrong with my handheld's little built-in microphone? Its okay
for a quick and dirty short QSO, and hence why its so handy. Let's look a little
closer at the situation. Then ask yourself something. Wouldn't you rather set a
better example for those public service officials you'll be working with on the
disaster simulation or other event? We in ham radio are always telling the
disaster response agencies that we hold our standards high. Let's let them hear
us at our best during these operations. Remember many listen on scanners and
will be more likely to seek us out if they hear the evidence of these higher
standards we talk so much about.
Now back to the handheld again. Your handheld usually consists of a circuit
board or two in a case with the keypad, speaker and mic element on the front of
the case. The case is mostly hollow so it acts as a resonating chamber for both
your voice and the road noise or other ambient background. This resonating
chamber works great in tandem with your handheld radio's tiny speaker, but is
terrible for its microphone. Your noise canceling microphone is baffled so as to
eliminate a lot of this unwanted resonance. That's how it achieves its "noise
cancelling" properties.
For providing communications for the local public service event or ARES exercise
the speaker microphone and an ear bud work better than the built-in microphone
on your handheld transceiver. If using a regular hand microphone often times
cross talking it will work better. Those sibilant sounds, s's popping p's and so
on are a problem, but cross talking the microphone doesn't cause your breath to
blow directly on the element. Experiment with the microphones you plan to use
for such activities and find out which techniques work best for them before you
have to learn on the job.
Lapel microphones, headsets or the ubiquitous speaker microphone coupled with an
ear bud are all better choices. Which one's right for you? You'll have to decide
that for yourself. If you can borrow some of these possible solutions from
friends that will mate with your handheld transceiver try them all and decide.
If you must buy them you can always sell the accessories you don't plan to use
once you've found the method that works best for you.
Next time it's the HF traffic handler and other operator who gets picked on.
Let's improve our listenability folks. The public we serve will take notice!
Circuit discipline: What it is and why it's important
Many amateur radio activities depend a great deal on the efficient operation of
networks. Whether it be the swap net, the weak signal coordination net, the
awards chasing nets, or the traffic emergency and service nets. The conduct of
such nets is much smoother when the participants use good circuit discipline.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, circuit discipline is conducting
your operation so as not to disrupt the network, allowing everybody to get their
business handled effectively and efficiently. Circuit discipline is as
simple as only transmitting when directed to do so, keeping transmissions short,
using standard phonetics or sending good clean code accurately at any speed.
Circuit discipline is also best taught by example. Newcomers to nets hear good
disciplined operators and want to emulate what they hear. As well as helping the
newcomers it presents us in a positive way to the agencies we serve in time of
disaster.
Why is it then that circuit discipline gets such short shrift in training
materials and on the air? I recently took and passed all three levels of the
emergency communications course and did not see a whole lot on circuit
discipline. In fact I saw nothing on the subject. When you took the tests
for your licenses that you hold there were no questions about it. If you spend a
lot of time working with nets as I do you'll notice its lack.
The modern radio amateur is more accustomed to thinking in terms of clear
readable signals through repeaters and links. This means he's always going to be
able to hear net control, will check in when his category is called and not have
any problems communicating when he has need to transmit. The opposite often
applies when he first ventures into the world of the HF net, whether it be in
pursuit of a coveted award for his shack wall or to contact his buddy on a
vessel at sea. These same operating conditions are going to confront him if
working the disaster with no repeaters and his compromise antenna for VHF and
UHF.
Many operators who should know better exhibit poor circuit discipline as well.
They transmit when they shouldn't, often causing chaos. First they aren't
familiar with the simple concept of how to obtain relay assistance if they do
not hear net control. Instead of transmitting his/her callsign once, waiting two
to three minutes and if no response lather rinse repeat they transmit every 30
seconds or so that so-and-so can't hear net control. even if priority traffic is
being handled on the frequency somebody must jump in, handle the motormouth and
then let the traffic proceed.
For example: I was monitoring the frequency used by a net which serves vessels
at sea as well as missionaries and others. The station in control of the net was
trying to assist a vessel at sea, but did not have a good copy on the maritime
mobile operator. So, he asks who hears the maritime mobile. Now some guy in New
England has to transmit commenting that he does not hear the maritime mobile.
The net control station did NOT ask who doesn't hear the vessel. Who didn't hear
the vessel was quite irrelevant. If the poor radio op was sinking and needed
emergency assistance knowing who did not hear him wasn't going to do him any
good. Yet if net control did find somebody who heard him well they could get
together and effect a rescue.
Leaders in charge of training at the local level should teach their pool of
emergency communicators proper circuit discipline, and regular net participants
should endeavor to operate their stations with an eye toward practicing it. We
have many new operators on the high frequency bands, and they learn from us old
hands. Let's help them learn the right way of doing things!
Here then are eleven pointers which will help you maintain good circuit
discipline, whether you're a newcomer or have just developed some bad habits
over the years:
1. If you must tune up by transmitting, tune a few kHz away from net frequency
so as not to interfere with the net.
2. Adjust your equipment so as to fall within specifications for your mode of
operation, and so as to transmit a clear readable signal.
3. Follow the directions of net control at all times. If you are addressed
directly and do not understand your instructions or feel that some clarification
is in order by all means request it. Net control may be distracted and not quite
up on his/her game at the moment.
4. If you can't hear net control, briefly transmit your callsign and request
relay assistance when you hear other stations checking in, then stand by. If no
relay assistance is forthcoming within a couple of minutes repeat. Keep your
transmissions as brief as possible.
5. When attempting to relay for others, state your callsign phonetically and use
the word "relay" to indicate this is your reason for rechecking the net. Do not
proceed until you are instructed to do so. Net control may acknowledge you but
this is not permission to proceed.
When relaying a station to net control be clear, be accurate, and return to NCS
quickly.
6. Do not respond to stations maliciously interfering or otherwise engage such
stations. Net stations will appreciate your silence, and the behavior will only
persist if acknowledged.
7. Be prepared with writing materials ready to hand so as not to delay the net
while you hunt for paper, pencils, etc.
8. When receiving traffic on net frequency be sure to copy information
accurately and neatly so that it can be read later.
9. When sending traffic send clearly and at a comfortable speed for the
receiving operator. Keep transmissions short and listen for fill requests.
10. On voice nets disable VOX if you use it. You can always engage your VOX when
you have need to transmit. Other sounds in your environment can cause you to
transmit unintentionally, and the unintentional QRM is just as harmful as the
malicious sort.
11. When seeking to join an unfamiliar net listen for awhile to see where
procedures may differ from standards you are accustomed to. Endeavor to follow
local procedures when you participate.
How to submit an article
Send a file attach of a straight ASCII file to the editor at
elspider@bellsouth.net for
inclusion.
Brief items for our news section should be sent as a regular email.
Again, attach plain ASCII files only. If using MS Word choose the save-as option
to save as plain text, possibly called dos text. Check your favorite word
processor's documentation on creating ASCII files.
No graphics files, pdf etcetera please!
This electronic newsletter is
intended to be machine readable. This newsletter may be distributed on packet
and other radio systems where system operators and relay stations wish to
closely monitor content of transmissions. It is intended to be platform
independent which is not possible with graphical file formats. Even the operator
with the old commodore or Apple II should be able to read this newsletter, or
the fellow using the old dumb terminal. Text to speech systems etcetera should
have no problems reading this newsletter.
If possible use a file extension of .art for your article. If it fits one of
these categories use the category name as the file name. Regular categories for
which we seek articles are as follows:
General : articles of general interest to traffic handlers. Use a file
name of general.art
Training : Articles regarding training hints and tips. As above, use
training.art if possible.
Outreach : articles on ways to reach out to the public and promote NTS and
amateur radio message handling capabilities. As with the above examples,
outreach.art.
Using these naming conventions allows your editor to automatically process your
article.
Type the title twice, the first time at left margin preceded by a * character.
The second time centered as you'd like it to appear. The line with the * will be
used to automatically build a table of contents and the asterisk removed.
Your article will then appear with title centered.
Immediately below the centered title please place your name and call sign so
that folks will know who authored the article. If you have an email address
please provide it as well. Though often these can be looked up the information
provided in call sign databases is often incorrect. If you are a net manager or
hold an ARRL field organization position please provide this information as
well.
IF possible keep line lengths to 70 characters or fewer. Again remember that we
are attempting to be platform independent. Many of our readers will wish to view
this on their screens instead of printing it out.
If you cannot save your article as plain text paste the text into an email and
send it. Your editor will do his best to format it properly for display on most
computer systems. If you do this state in the subject line that text enclosed in
email is an article for BPQ.
Although you retain the copyright on your work, submission of any articles
implies permission to publish them in BPQ and distribute said work
electronically without remuneration to you or BPQ. No fee may be charged to
receive BPQ.
Where to get BPQ
Many fine internet connected
bulletin boards also carry BPQ in the hamnews file area as a zip file using the
same naming conventions as the text files within them. These files are
distributed by the ham-fdn and the International Filegate Project. Visit
www.filegate.net/
Fidonet: Many fine bulletin board systems available via telnet www and
dial-up can link to the ham-fdn described above. If you don't see it on your
favorite fido board ask the sysop to link to the hamnews area through his/her
regular files link.
The headquarters of the ham-fdn can be accessed as follows:
Waldo's place USA. modem
12am-6pm EST. (919) 774-5930
telnet://bbs.wpusa.dynip.com
http://www.wpusa.dynip.com/
ftp://ftp.wpusa.dynip.com
RADIO RESCUE NET OPERATIONS BBS
Modem only 0600-1200 UTC 28.8 kbps n81 (901) 465-9921
If you are the system operator of a BBS (either landline or radio) and cannot
get BPQ through your regular links it can be sent you via email as either
regular email or a file attach. Send an email to bpq.distro@116-901.ftn.wpusa.dynip.com
Provide your email address in the text and tell us how you'd like to receive
BPQ. Also tell us what kind of BBS system you operate, its frequencies of
operation if a packet board or its dial-up/telnet info etc. Also, please give us
your callsign.
We wish to keep the email distribution list fairly small, so look to your
favorite internet dial-up or packet connections first if at all possible.
Thanks for reading and 73,
Richard Webb, NF5B
Send correspondence to the editor via email using the following email address:
elspider@bellsouth.net
OR using plain text only to: bpq.editor@116-901.ftn.wpusa.dynip.com
All file attached article submissions should be sent to the bellsouth address.
See the earlier section on how to submit an article.
Place BPQ feedback or similar text in the subject line so that it receives
proper attention from the editor.
Readers are encouraged to create a hardcopy of this newsletter for those who do
not have computer access, but have an interest in the material within.
Reproduction of articles in club newsletters is permitted so long as BPQ and the
original author are credited.
For more information contact the editor.
BRASS POUNDERS' QUARTERLY
Published by traffic handlers for traffic handlers
Copyright ARRL National Traffic System, electronic distribution encouraged.
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